BILLS

lawmakers in the U.S., though their outside income will be capped at $35,000 starting in 2025. California lawmakers are second, at $122,694, with higher amounts for legislative leadership. Pennsylvania is third at $102,844.

New Mexico lawmakers make the least — $0 — of any state lawmaker in the U.S. Close behind is New Hampshire, where the state’s 424 lawmakers are paid a $100 salary — a rate set more than 130 years ago — and get no per diem, meaning that technically they receive even less compensation than lawmakers in New Mexico, who get a per diem of roughly $200.

U.S. senators and representatives, for reference, make $174,000 each year. Congressional leaders earn even more.

e variations in state lawmaker pay across the U.S. are in uenced by many factors, including politics and cost of living di erences from state to state.

ey are also determined by whether a state’s legislature operates year-round — like in California, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania — or is part time, like in Colorado, where each lawmaking term is limited to 120 days.

Colorado’s General Assembly was intentionally formed as a “citizen” legislature, where representatives and senators aren’t full-time politicians. Lawmakers are expected to have jobs outside of the Capitol, though many say serving in the General Assembly is truly a full-time job.

Critics of Colorado lawmakers’ pay say it limits who can serve at the Capitol to wealthier people, who are often retired, white and without school-age kids.

“ e arrangement that we have de nitely takes some people out of the running,” said former state Sen. Mike Foote, a Boulder County Democrat who opted not to run for reelection after nding it di cult to balance his Capitol duties with a demanding work schedule as a private attorney raising a family. However, Foote said lawmakers know the nancial consequences of serving at the Capitol when they run for a legislative seat. And he points out many Coloradans work full time and make $40,000 a year.

Sen. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, has advocated for the legislature to increase its salary. Outside of her job as a legislator, Winter works for VoteRunLead, a nonpro t that trains women to run for o ce, recruiting political candidates.

“ e rst or second question that gets asked is ‘How do I have a family and do this? How can I a ord to do this?’” she said. “When we want BIPOC folks to run and we want women to run and we want young people to run and LGBTQ folks, then we have to make sure that we’re making it possible for them.”

BIPOC means Black, Indigenous and people of color.

Coleman, who is Black, was the youngest member of the legislature when he was rst elected to the House in 2016. At the time, he had two 6-year-old kids. Coleman said his age, lack of intergenerational wealth and young family made it very di cult to serve as a state lawmaker.

“It was virtually impossible for me to run and a ord to serve,” he said, noting that candidates for o ce aren’t paid.

While some employers may be OK with someone taking o for 120 days to work in the legislature, Coleman said, they are few and far between. Besides, he said, being a state representative or state senator really requires year-round attention for those who want to be successful and adequately represent their community.

But others argue the limited salary actually serves to ensure Colorado has a citizen legislature.

“I think Colorado is about where it needs to be,” Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, a Watkins Republican, said of state lawmakers’ salary level.

Bockenfeld, who sits on the Joint Budget Committee, said he knows the legislature’s low salary could stop some people from being able to run for o ce. He personally experienced that hurdle.

Before he could a ord to run for the legislature, he served as an Arapahoe County commissioner for 12 years and earned a much higher salary. ( e current salary for a commissioner in Arapahoe County is $131,701.)

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, worries that raising lawmakers’ pay would prompt the legislature to become a full-time, year-round job. He opposes that shift because of how it would expand government in uence.

“It simply creates a silo that is populated in various levels, various strata of political operators, who have nothing but politics as the experience of their life,” he said. “ at’s contrary to what representation of the people is supposed to be about. e salary, is it out of alignment with what professionals make? Of course. I make substantially less than my skills demand in the marketplace. But I choose as an act of service to do the work as an active service, not because I want it to be a profession or a career.” is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Colorado’s next legislative session begins in January.